Suction cleaner



May 18, 1937. v

H. E. HOOVER SUCTION CLEANER Filed April 11, 1935 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1937 SUCTION CLEANER Howard Earl Hoover, Glencoe, 111., minor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application April 11, 1935, Serial No; 15,744 Claims. (01. -9)

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to new and novel improvements in converting mechanisms by which the cleaner is converted from an on- 5 the-floor to an oif-the-floor unit. More specifically the invention comprises a new and'novel combination of dusting tool converter and cleaner body. 0 I

It is an object of the present invention to pro- ]0 vide a new and improved suction cleaner. It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved converter for a suction cleaner. Still another object is to provide a new and improved dusting tool converter and its coopera- 15 tive seat on the cleaner body. A stillfurther object is the provision of a detachable dusting tool converter which is adapted to seat upon a cleaner provided with positive agitating means and to seal the cleaner nozzle from the suction-creating means and to connect the dusting tool hose thereto. These and other morespecific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

' The present invention is disclosed in part in United States Letters Patent 1,928,937, granted October 3, 1933 to Howard E. Hoover.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed:

Figure 1 is a side view of a suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention, certain parts being broken away;

Figure 2 is a broken section through the nozzle and fan chamber of the cleaner shown in Figure 1 but with the dusting tool converter in place and the cleaner adapted for oif-the-floor oper-' ation;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the removable cover element or section which is displaced when the dusting tool converter is seated;

Figure 4 is a section upon the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section upon the line 5--5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a. view similar to Figure 2 illustrating a second preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 is a section upon the line 1-1 of Figurefi.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, the first preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed. The suction cleaner body is seen to 5 include a nozzle I, the mouth of which is defined by front and rear lips I and 3, respectively. The nozzle is interiorly connected to a fan chamber 4 at the eye 5 thereof. Within the fan chamber is positioned a rotating suction-creating fan 60 6, which is carried upon the extended end of the motor shaft I driven by an unshown motorpositioned within the casing 8 immediately in the rear of the fan'chamber. 'The motor shaft extends forwardly thru the fan chamber into the nozzle to a point above the nozzle month, where it is formed as a pulley 9. A rotating agitator l0 comprising flexible brushes and rigid beating elements, is rotatably mounted within the nozzle in a position in which it is adapted to contact the lifted surface covering between the lips 2 and 3 in the cleaning operation. A power-transmitting belt ll connects the agitator to the pulley 9, the nozzle being provided with a cover plate l2 in its front wall immediately adjacent the pulley 9 which is removable/ to permit of access to the belt and to the pulley. The cleaning air which is drawn through the nozzle is exhausted from the fan chamber exhaust outlet l3 into a removable dust bag M which functions to filter the foreign matterfrom the air passing therethrough.

able section or plate l8. In the operation of the cleaner in on-the-floor cleaning section 18 is removably secured in place by a spring-pressed detent l9'which seats within a seat'Zil in the section. When so positioned the plate l8- forms an integral part of the cleaner body and' air is conducted from the nozzle mouth'to the eye 5 of the fan chamber and passes therethrough into the dust bag, as aforedescribed.

To convert the cleaner from an on-the-floor unit to an oiT-the-fioor unit the plate I8 is removed from the cleaner the spring-pressed detent l9 being withdrawn from its seat 20. The nozzle as statedis formed as a circular air passageway at the plate l8, and the removal of the plate leaves an open sided'semi-circular section 2|.v From the semi-circular portion 2| there extends a lug, shoulder, or post 22 which extends upwardly to surround partially the motor shaft 1, it being of substantially the same width as that element. p

The dusting tool converter comprises a metallic member the outer end of which is formed as a cylindrical conduit 23 and the inner end as a seat portion 24 which extends at an angle and is adapted to seat upon the semi-circular section 2 I. The seat portion 24 is formed with side walls 25, 25 which rest upon the sides of the semicircular section 2|. The forward wall of the seat portion lies adjacent the fan chamber, is.

flat and is formed with a cutaway section 26 which conforms to the eye of the fan chamber.

to the end of the conduit of the converter" the cleaner end of a removable flexible dusting tool hose 30.

With the converter seated on the cleaner the interior of the converter is connected to the interior of the fan chamber, and the cooperation of the wall 21 of the converter with thepost 22 completely seals the nozzle from the fan chamber. Referring now to Figures 6 and 7 in particular, a modified design of converter-cleaner construc tion is illustrated. In this embodiment the nozzle passageway immediately adjacent the fan chamber is of larger cross section than in the first embodiment and is not entirely closed by the rear wall 21 of the converter in the ofl-the-f'ioor seated in the cleaner, are side walls 35, 35, which are joined adjacent the fan chamber by the forward wall of the converter, which is again formed with the cutout section'26. The rear wall 21 of the converter extends between the walls 35,

35, encloses the shaft I and post 22, and cooperates therewith to seal the interior of the converter to theinterior of the fan chamber. The walls 35, '35 arespaced apart sufficiently at their 40 lower ends to permit the drive shaft I to pass therebetween. With the converter in place these" spaced ends contact the side of a raised shoul-; der :6 which extends from the fan chamber to J The converter is retained as in the first embodiment' by the cooperation of the the post 22.

spring-pressed detent IS with a seat 28 formed in the wall 21. g

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle having a month, an adjacent fan chamber connected interiorly to said nozzle, an agitator in said nozzle,

a driving shaft extending from said fan chain her into. said nozzle and connected to said agi tator, said nomle being formed with a removable Y section opposite said shaft, a post extended from the side of said nozzle to said shaft and in the direction of said removable section, said nozzle being open to said chamber at the sides of said post, and a dusting tool converter adapted'to side of said passageway opposite said cutout section to said shaft, and a dusting tool converter seated on said passageway at said cutout section and including a closure plate enclosing said driving shaft and said closure 'member and cooperating with the latter to seal said nozzle mouth from said fan chamber.

3. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle having a mouth and being formed at its opposite end as an air passageway, a fan chamber adjacent and interiorly connected to said passageway, said passageway being formed with a cutout section immediately adjacent said chamber which is adapted to seat a wall section to complete said passageway or a dusting tool converter, a drive shaft 1:- tended centrally thru said passageway, a closure member extended out from the sidewall of said passageway opposite said cutout section to a position partially surrounding said shaft and a converter seated on said passageway at said cutclose said shaft and closure member to seal said nozzle mouth from said fan chamber.

4: In a suction cleaner, a nozzle having a mouth and formed as an air passageway, a fan chamber interiorly connected to said passageway,

said'passageway being formed with a cutout section, a driving shaft extended centrally of' the .portion of said passageway adjacent said. fan

chamber, a post extending from the wall of said passageway opposite said cutout section radially toward said shaft and terminating in a semicircular edge partially enclosing said shaft, and a dusting tool converter adapted to be inserted into said cutout section and consisting of wall sections spaced apart and adapted to extend transversely of said passageway toprovide a clo sure therefor, one of saidwall 'sectionshaving a portion removed to register with thejen'trance of said fan chamber, the other havingan inwardly extending marginal slot conformingto the contour of said shaft and said post and adapted to have marginal sealing contact therewith.

5. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle having a mouth and an air passageway, a fan chamber communicating with said passageway, the latter being provided with a transverse cutout wall section adjacent said fan chamber, a driving shaft extending axially into the portion of said passageway provided with said cutout wall section, a post integral with the wall of said passageway and extending radially therefrom toward said shaft from the side opposite said cutout wall section and terminating in a semi-circularend margin partially enclosing said shaft, and a dusting tool converter adapted to be inserted into the opening formed by said cutout wall section and transversely of said passageway, said converter consisting of wall sections spaced apart axially of said shaft and having sealing contact at their edges with the interior of said passageway, one

of said wall sections having a portion removed to register with the entrance of said fan chamber, the other having a portion removed to conform to the contour of said shaft and said post and adapted to have marginal sealing contact therewith. v

HOWARD EARL HOOVER 

